Improvement in bottle-capping machines



vW. PITT.A

. BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINES.

No.179,218. Patented June 27,1876.

NPERS, PHOTO'UTHOGRAFHER. WASMNGTON, D CA UNITED STATES rica'.

WILLIAM PITT, OF. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS HIS RIGHT TO CHARLES A. VOGELER ANDA. O. MEYER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOTTLE-CAPPING MACH-INES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,218, dated June 27, 1876; application filed June 12, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PITT, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-Capping Machines, of which the following is a speeiiication:

My invention consists of a series of arms carrying rollers, and pivoted upon a revolving shaft, with means for imparting to said arms and their rollers a positive converging movement, for securing tin-foilor similar soft-metal caps on bottles, and in certain details of construction, all as hereinafter set forth.

Figure l is a top-plan view, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, of a bottle-capping ma chine constructed on my improved plan. Figs. 3 and 4 represent a modification of the pivoted roller-arm.

In capping7 bottles, as the process of securing the tin-foil over the corks and heads is termed, it is desirable that the foil be pressed down smooth and firm, and made to fit snugly under the projections on the neck of the bottle, so as not only to present a smooth and neat appearance when done, but also to remain securely thereon. It is also desirable to have the means of doing this work rapidly, and it is for these purposes that my present invention is designed.

In the drawing, A represents the bed, on which I mount a rotating spindle or hollowr shaft, B, which has its bearings in a couple of standards, c, there being a pulley, O, on the shaft B, l y which motion is imparted to it from any suitable' motor. At the outer end of the spindle B I pivot three. arms, b, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each of these arms having mounted on their outer ends asmall conical or semi-spherical roller, c, which are so mounted as to revolve freely on their arms b. These arms b are inclined outward at their inner ends, as shown in Fig. 2, and rest in holes in a sliding collar, E,'which is arranged ou the rspindle B in such a manner as to slide freely to'and fro thereon. This collar E is connected,'

by a pin, fr, to a rod, D, within the hollow spindle B, there being a slot in the spindle for the pin r to play back and forth in as the rod Dis moved in or out. Within the tubular shaft or spindle, and bearing against the front or inner' end of the rod D, is a spiral spring, u, which tends to shove the rod D, with its collar backward, thereby drawing inward the rear ends of the arms b, and causing the rollers c to separate. A reverse motion is imparted to the Iarms and their rollers by pressing in the rod D, which is done by means of a lever or rod, L which bears against itsouter end, this lever L having one end pivoted to a small post, cl, while to its opposite end is secured a cord or rod, R, which is brought within reach of the operators hand.

I have found, by experiment, that the bes results are produced by making two of the rollers c of rubber, while the Ithird ione, c, is made of some smooth and hard material, such as wood, metal, ivory, or hard rubber, the soft-rubber rolls tending to draw the foil tight over the head of the bottle, pressing the foil down snug into all the cavities, while the hard roller smooths it eiectually over its entire surface.V

In operation, the spindle is set in motion, and the bottle, with the foil or cap applied, is held in the right hand, and pressed inward between the rollers, while with the left hand they are caused to press upon it as they revolve with greater or less force, as desired.

In Figs. 3 and 4: I have shown a modification by which the arms, with their rollers, may be made adjustable, if desired.

l In Fig. 3 the rollers are shown mounted on the ends ofspring-arms, secured to the pivoted arms b with a set-screw, m, for adjusting them 5 and in Fig. 4 I have shown a head to be secured to the end of the spindle, with adjustable jaws o, in which the arms b are' to be mounted; or the arms b may be. made wider, and have a series of holes, a, forthe pivot-pin to pass through, and thus enable them to be adjusted, as desired. It will be seen that, in either case, the larms and rollers can be controlled by a positive motion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination of the sliding rod D,l with the col-lar E attached thereto, the spring a, and the hollow shaft B, having the arms b, with 5. In combination with the pivoted arms,

having the rollers mounted thereon, the sliding collar embracing the ends ot' the arms, and serving to throw the rollers both outward and inward with a positive motion, insuring a uniform adjustment of' all the rollers, and rendering the machine capable of operation Without dependence upon springs.

WILLIAM PITT.

Witnesses:

W. G. DODGE, DONN TWITCIIELL. 

